Seminar 3. Performative Utterance

Tasks and Questions

References

1. Besnier N. Language and Affect / Niko Besnier // Annual Reviews, Inc., 1990.

2. Brown R. The Pronouns of Power and Solidarity / R. Brown., A. Gilman // Style in Language / [T. A. Sebeok (ed.)]. – Cambridge: MIT Press, 1960.

3. DeCamp D. Hypercorrection and Rule Generalization / D. DeCamp. – 1972.

4. Dunn C. Pragmatic Functions of Humble Forms in Japanese Ceremonial Discourse / Cynthia Dunn // Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 2005. – Vol. 15. – Issue 2. – P. 218-238.

5. Kamei T. Covering and Covered Forms of Women’s Language in Japanese / Takashi Kamei // Hitotsubashi Journal of Arts of Sciences. – vol. 19. – P. 1-7.

6. Ochs E. Indexicality and Socialization / Elinor Ochs // Cultural Psychology: Essays on Comparative Human Development / [J. Stigler, R. Shweder, G. Herdt (eds.)]. – Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

7. Ochs E. Language has a Heart / Elinor Ochs, Banbi Shieffelin // Text. – vol. 9. – P. 7-25.

8. Silverstein M. Indexical Order and the Dialectics of Sociolinguistic Life / Michael Silverstein. – Elsevier Ltd., 2003.

9. Silverstein M. Shifters, Linguistic Categories, and Cultural Description / Michael Silverstein // Meaning in Anthropology / [K. Basso, H. A. Selby (eds.)]. – Albuquerque: School of American Research, University of New Mexico Press, 1976.

10. Winford D. Hypercorrection in the Process of Decreolization: The Case of Trinidadian English / Donald Winford. – Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.

11. Wolfram W. Phonological Variation and Change in Trinidadian English – the Evolution of the Vowel System / W. Wolfram. – Washington: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1969.

1. Define non-referential indexicality. Dwell on the levels of indexical meaning.

2. Characterize linguistic variants that act to index sex and gender. Give examples.

3. What is affective meaning? What examples of affective forms can you give?

4. Define T-V distinction. Dwell on its history and usage.

5. Give the definition to honorifics. Characterize modern English and Japanese honorifics. Compare them with Ukrainian ones.

6. Dyirbal is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in northeast Queensland by about 5 speakers of the Dyirbal tribe. Why has it become so well-known among linguists?

7. What does M. Silverstein mean by “wine talk”?

Issues Discussed:

1. Origin of the term

2. J. L. Austin’s definition

3. Categories of performatives

4. The “hereby” test

5. Distinguishing performatives from other utterances

6. Are performatives truth-evaluable?

7. E. Sedgwick’s account on performatives

8. Some examples (mainly of explicit performative utterances)

The notion of performative utterances was introduced by J. L. Austin. According to his original conception, it is a sentence which is not true or false but instead 'happy' or 'unhappy', and which is uttered in the performance of an illocutionary act, rather than used to state something (Austin originally assumed that stating something and performing an illocutionary act are mutually exclusive) [2].

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